Sunday, May 6, 2012

Box Office Shocker: 'Avengers' Opens to Record Shattering $200.3 Million

Joss Whedon'sThe Avengers has set a new bar in opening to a walloping $200.3 million at the domestic box office, the largest debut ever and kicking of summer 2012 in high style.The Avengers -- marking a major victory for Disney and Marvel Studios -- easily dethroned Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which opened to $169.2 million last summer, then the largest number in history.

Overseas, where Avengers opened a week ago, the tentpole has earned $441.5 million for a stunning worldwide total of $641.8 million -- already surpassing the lifetime totals of Captain America: The First Avenger ($364 million), Thor ($449 million), Iron Man ($585 million) and Iron Man 2 ($624 million).

The 3D tentpole is now positioned to reach $1 billion in global grosses.

Among other records, Avengers is the first film in history to cross $200 million in only three days of play at the domestic box office. It also scored the biggest Saturday gross of all time in earning $69.7 million.
"It's been a fantastic weekend on every single front," Disney executive vice president of distribution Dave Hollis said.

Hollis said the slim 13 percent drop from Friday to Saturday reflects great word of mouth, as well as the fact that all segments of the audience are turning out, including families. Roughly 52 percent saw it in 3D.

The tentpole played evenly in terms of age, with 50 percent of the audience under the the age of 25 and 50 percent over. Couples made up 55 percent, families 24 percent and teens 21 percent. Males represented 60 percent of the audience.

IMAX theaters reported record business, generating north of $15 million in ticket sales domestically to tie with Deathly Hallows Part 2 for the biggest opening weekend in the circuit's history. IMAX expects to finish the weekend with a worldwideume of $31.2 million.

Avengers is the first Marvel title marketed and distributed by Disney since buying Marvel. Paramount distributed Marvel's previous films and, in exchange for ending its output deal early with Marvel, will received as much as $115 million in distribution fees for Avengers and next summer's Iron Man 3.

Avengers was the only wide release of the weekend. At the specialty box office, Fox Searchlight looked to counterprogram with The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which opened in 27 theaters in 12 markets. Marigold grossed $750,301 for a pleasing per location average of $27,789.

Fox Searchlight's Sheila DeLoach said the film -- which has already a stellar $72 million overseas -- succeeded in luring baby boomers, evidenced by sold out matinee and early evening shows. Marigold stars Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson.

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About Me

Harold Hay is an award-winning writer, producer and director, who lives in Florence, Kentucky. He has produced numerous television shows, including 180 videos and “The Zone,” which aired on over 200 stations in North America and 15 television networks worldwide. His programs have been honored by both the NRB and the GMA for best program of the year. He is the author of the recent book, “The Red Pill, The Cure for Today’s Mass Media Culture,” which is considered a definitive work on the state of media and culture. He also has created a faith-based educational program for high school students who are interested in pursuing a career in media, film or TV. Currently, he is the president of Flannelgraph Ministries and the founder of Media Missionary School